An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as a side curtain or an air bag, is inflated upon the occurrence of a vehicle condition requiring inflation of the side curtain or air bag. When inflation is required, an inflator is actuated to provide inflation fluid, which inflates the side curtain or air bag into the vehicle occupant compartment.
The inflator includes a pressure vessel defining a chamber with a passage through which inflation fluid flows from the chamber. A rupturable burst disk is fixed to the container to block fluid flow through the passage. The inflator further includes an electrically actuatable igniter assembly, which, when actuated, ruptures the burst disk to enable fluid to flow from the chamber through the passage.